Holder of the Order of Honor, founder of the “Chabukiani-Balanchine” Foundation, founder of a festival having the same name, producer of numerous modern and classic ballet performances, son of Remi Vashakidze repressed by Shevardnadze, father of three children...

This is a small part of Tamaz Vashakidzes biography, against whom a criminal case was initiated. Once the regime of Shevardnadze has convicted the head of the Railway Transport Department on an absurd charge, and now the repressed Vashakidze family is waiting to be sentenced by Saakashvili. Tamaz Vashakidzes wife who stayed with three little children, who has repeatedly experienced fear during the visits of uninvited guests and their threats, is also waiting for this sentence... They will mark the year 2006 without head of their family. Lets see what other surprises is preparing them the coming New Year! And meanwhile lets listen to Mrs. Nino Kitia, who tells to the newspaper “Asaval-Dasavali” about details which represent the reason of the governments desire to sentence her husband.

The persecution of my family started after Mrs. Nino Ananiashvili had come back to Georgia. My suspicions are based on the facts. I will tell you everything, and youll make your own judgment... In July 2004 Tamaz was suddenly dismissed from the functions of director, artistic director, teacher and ballet master of the Ballet Art School. In fact, he was deprived of his profession. They said that the reason for that was the lack of qualification (and he graduated from St. Petersburg Conservatoire, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of Georgia and was awarded with the Order of Honor). Thought, it was clear that the reason was different... Nino Ananiashvili was appointed artistic director of the school. And the general managers function was given to Zviad Bakradze  cousin of Grigol Vashadze, Nino Ananiashvilis husband, who used to work as a guard in a penal colony! Tamaz could not stand such unfair treatment and filed a case demanding to restore him in his functions. He wrote about all that happened in several newspaper articles. The first signal of threat came exactly at that time. Someone called to our house and warned us  be careful! Few days later there was another call: stop it, while its not too late! This time Tamaz made a statement for press, that his life was threatened! Nobody paid attention to his words. And soon after that my children and me, we had an accident... A white “Lada” car followed us first for a long time, and then it hit our car and disappeared. We still get threats! I dont leave the house, especially with children. In September 2004 Nino Ananiashvili and Zviad Bakradze deprived Tamaz of the right to teach, and in October, under pretext of restructuring he was dismissed from the function of ballet master, leaving him without job. And he is the only breadwinner in the family.

Tamaz Vashakidze with his son
Nikoloz Vashakidze-Kitia

Nino Kitia with her children:
Mariam, Elena and Nikoloz

Nino Kitia with son Nikoloz

Mariam, Elena and Nikoloz

Two months after the husbands dismissal there was a special commission that came to the Ballet Art School, but they couldnt find anything against Tamaz. Then it was the turn of the Control Chamber. It was curious that they had to check the documents for the period from 1998 to 2004, but in practice they checked the papers only for the last two years, that is the period when Tamaz worked as director! On the 18th of November, when the Control Chamber people were still working at the School, Zviad Bakradze has invited the accountant, took away the keys and dismissed her from her functions without case referral. The accountant informed the Minister of Culture Goka Gabashvili about that fact. Naturally she wanted to decline all responsibility for that. Who knows, how much cheating was there. But its absolutely true, that certain papers disappeared!

 But Tamaz Vashakidze was put on the wanted list only few days ago, a year after the events that you spoke about...

 Only because they couldnt find anything against him. Ninos family has become more active after Tamaz organized the world first night in Moscow... Some days later a man from the Procurators Office came to see me to maternity hospital. My whole pregnancy period passed in emotional stress. And then the immature delivery started. And there were problems with the baby... The chief investigator of the procurators office Alexander Mgeladze came to interrogate only three days after I gave birth to our baby and was transferred from intensive care department. He asked me where was Tamaz, though they knew pretty well that he was making a production in Moscow. First they blocked all the ways to Tamaz here, and then they reached him abroad (he had invitations from different countries). Now graduates from the times of Tamaz take part in performances of Nino Ananiashvili! They say that he saved Georgian ballet at the time, when he could take care of his personal career.

 As far as I know, Nino Ananiashvili and Tamaz Vashakidze were not only partners, but also friends...

 Yes, they were rather close friends. When Nino was appointed artistic director of the Opera and Ballet Theatre, Tamaz called her and said: my congratulations to Georgian people because of Nino Ananiashvili return! But... My husband could not believe for a long time, that Nino could do all that... Nino could not forgive him, that he had not closed his eyes to injustice that she committed and had filed a case demanding to restore him in his functions. People from the procurators office dont leave me alone; they come and go without warning and even search in my wardrobe trying to find Tamaz there. When Nino gives birth to her child, shell probably understand better what it means when children are isolated from their mother, and the policemen storm in the house! By the way, Tamaz did not make any radical declarations for a long time only because Nino was pregnant... But there is a limit to everything! They dont leave him alone. Due to Nino, or more accurately  due to her husband Grigol Vashadze he may be imprisoned. He is accused of stealing 64 thousand... I think that the whole budget of the School was less than this!.. And in the real life, Tamaz has sacrificed his own apartment in order to run the First “Chabukiani-Balanchine...” International Festival of Ballet Art"

Today Im absolutely alone. Tamaz was the only breadwinner in the family. And the threat on the phone! They called twice and said: hey, girl, take care! They forced Tamaz to keep silence. Now they want to force me...

 And why doesnt he go to the procurators office, especially if he is right?

Tamaz Vashakidze and Irakli Kordzaiya.
Press-conference on the eve of expulsion,
December 8, 2005.

Nino Kitia: I want to ask them 
Nino Ananiashvili or her husband Grigol Vashadze 
to stop the persecution of my family!

 After the first night in Moscow on October 10 he deliberately came here and went to the procurators office trying to prove he was right. Though his friends tried to convince him not to come to Tbilisi. And they told him very clearly there: well start the investigation only after we imprison him. Or when he pays the pledge of 100.000 Lari. Due to pressure, insults and tortures they may force Tamaz to admit something that he has never committed. He also has to thing about his childrens security...

I rely on the Lord! My internal voice prompts me that the Lord will not leave us alone! He sees everything! It is not allowed to put innocent people in such situation.

 You should ask this question in the Government...

 Its clear, Ill put it to them. I want to address officially to the chief executives in the Government and to ask them to guarantee our security. But what decision will make the authorities that declared Nino Ananiashvili heroine  I dont know. When once Nino says: Tamaz is my colleague, leave him alone! And my husband will come back home! But I have doubts, because she keeps silence. Actually its not enough to be a good ballerina in order to be a good human being. By the way, when Tamaz started to denounce Nino, no-one wanted to believe that she could have made such a decision, but after scandal with the Pioneer Palace, many made sure that Tamaz was right. Id like to ask Nino Ananiashvili or her husband Grigol Vashadze to stop the persecution of my family. Take pity at least for the sake of the children, who miss their father and wait when he comes back home!

The interview was conducted by NATO POTSKHISHVILI
Newspaper “Asaval-Dasavali”, December 2005

P.S.

The year 2010. For the last five years Tamaz Vashakidze is being wanted by Georgian authorities. He is in exile. Alone, without family, without his little children. The children mark the fifth New Year holiday without their father. And during all those years there were efforts to slander, to compromise him, to strike his name out of the history of Georgian art, as if he has never existed...

ON THE 26TH OF FEBRUARY 2008 TAMAZ VASHAKIDZE WAS GRANTED THE REFUGEE STATUS ON THE TERITORY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN COMPLIANCE WITH ARTICLE 1, PARAGRAPH 1, SUB-PARAGRAPH 1 OF THE FEDERAL LAW “ON REFUGEES” OF THE FEDERAL MIGRATION SERVICE OF RUSSIA.